Singapore Hawker (Sperling)

I personally believe that Singapore Hawker is one of the best values in town especially considering the rising prices of food these days.  Yes, there are cheaper spots in town, but you must factor in the food quality and general lack of Singaporean food.  We've been to the location in Coquitlam and were thoroughly impressed with the place including their on point efficiency.  However, it gets quite busy there and the seating is not that comfortable.  Now that they have a new spot in Burnaby, we had to see if things would be the same or better.

One look at the place and it is apparent that it does not resemble the previous tenant (Deer Garden).  The place has an open concept and is brightly lit.  They are counter service only and that helps lower the price.  To start, we had 3 pieces of the Chicken & Beef Satay Skewers each.  These were rather meaty where the chicken was moist while the beef was tender with some chew.  As you can see, there was a nice char from the grill and that came through with some smokiness.  The side of sweet peanut dip was tasty and complimented the skewers nicely.

We actually ordered 2 each of the Nyonya Sambal Egg and the Roti Canai, however I must've not paid attention to the cashier repeating my order because we only got one each (we ended up going up and getting 2 more).  No matter, the sambal egg was not overdone and the sweet, briny and spicy sambal was addictive.  As for the roti, it was featured some crispiness on the outside while soft and chewy on the inside.  Side of curry dip had some mild heat.

Again, I must've blanked out because I swore I ordered the Malaysian Laksa, but I ended up with the Singaporean Laksa instead.  No big deal as this was pretty good, if not too mild for me at least.  It was creamy with enough coconut while the brininess was definitely there as well.  All the usual ingredients were on top including tofu puffs, fish cake, shrimp, fish balls and egg.

For our one veggie dish, we opted for the classic Sambal Green Beans.  I would say this was pretty much the same as the other location.  Hence, the flavours didn't pop like I expected it to be, especially with their delicious sambal.  Although there was some spice and shrimpiness, the entire dish was a bit underwhelming.  Beans were good though with a nice vibrant crunch.

One of my favourite items from Singapore Hawker is their Hainanese Chicken on Rice.  The dark meat deboned (like it should be) chicken was tender and "wat" (which means buttery texture).  It was flavourful, but the side of ginger and chili condiment made it even better.  The side of chicken oil rice was nutty and chewy with a touch of sweet soy on the bottom.  Still a good deal at $14.95 (was $12.95 one year ago).

I guess we ended up ordering almost the same things as last time as we also got the Kari Lembu with Rice.  This was a good thing though as the beef brisket was fatty and tender.  The chunks of potato were fried up nicely where they softened, but did not melt into the curry.  About that curry, it was rich and flavourful while mildly spicy.  In addition to the rice, it was served with some veggies.

Not to be outdone, we also added the Nyonya Rendang Lembu with Ginger Rice too.  Unlike the previous dish, this sported lean brisket, where it was less tender and more meaty.  Also the use of coconut milk as well as shredded coconut, there was some definite aromatics happening here.  In addition the lemongrass came through too. There was some mild spiciness as well.

I wanted to add another curry to our order and I asked for their recommendation and it resulted in the Nyonya Yellow Curry Chicken with Ginger Rice.  Not sure if this would be my personal choice, but it turned out to be not bad.  Naturally, the use of chicken breast meant the meat wasn't super tender, but it wasn't dry either.  I found the curry to be aromatic yet quite mild.  The ginger rice had an appealing colour but wasn't that flavourful.

Lastly, we had the Char Kuey Teow.  No, there was not cockles in this version and not expected (especially in Vancouver).  However, it was pretty good with lots of ingredients and decent wok hei that ensured caramelization.  Overall, the food at Singapore Hawker is good, especially for the price.  Are there better versions of some of the dishes in the GVRD?  Yes, of course, but for me at least, Singapore Hawker is a place that is good enough for me with all things considered.

The Good:
- Yes, the prices have gone up, but still good value
- Decent eats
- Efficient service

The Bad:
- Things are efficient and you will be finished eat quickly, so not a place to eat slow and enjoy your meal

Afuri Ramen + Dumpling (Main Street)

If I had to be blunt, our first visit to Afuri Ramen + Dumpling in Richmond back in early 2020 (yah, just before the pandemic) was "okay".  However, that was then and this is now.  They've recently opened up their second location on Main Street at 12th in Vancouver offering up familiar items as well as new ones.  Jacqueline and I were invited to check out the new spot.  Ironically, it was myself and Jacqueline the last time we had visit Afuri in Richmond.

We started with a bunch of appies including a new one in the Yasai Mochi filled with daikon, edamame and kikurage mushroom.  On top we found pickled vegetable, green onion, sesame seeds, shichimi pepper and sweet soy.  I loved the soft texture of the mochi as it gave way to the earthiness of the mushroom.  The pickles on top provided tangy saltiness while the sweetness of the soy balanced things out.  Slight spice from the shichimi helped hit all the flavours.

Another new item was the Winged Ebi Shumai stuffed with pork, shrimp, ginger and cabbage.  On top, there was green onion, sesame oil and hazelnut ra-yu with sweet soy served on the side.  These resembled wontons more than shumai with thin and barely there dumpling skin.  They were nicely seared on the bottom and featured a juicy flavourful filling.  Loved the nutty spice from the ra-yu which was complimented by the sweet soy.

Back to the classics, we went for the Winged Buta Gyoza with a pork, ginger, cabbage and leek filling  This came with a light and crispy skirt that blended into the seared bottom of the gyoza.  From what I can remember, this was executed better than the last time.  The dumpling skin was fairly thin and tender with elasticity.  I found the filling to be moist with enough seasoning but of course I dunked it into the soy dipping sauce.

Now the best thing we had last time was the Softshell Crab Bao and we weren't getting out of there without it.  This did not disappoint with a large and meaty softshell crab inside.  It was delicately crispy with all of the crab custardy texture and flavour front and centre.  This was complimented by the spicy mayo and kimchi which added a creamy kick as well as a tangy crunch.  Some sliced cucumber provided even more texture.

For good measure, we ordered the 3rd and final new item which was the Tonkotsu Tsukemen.  This featured a plate of al dente thick noodles accompanied by kakuni pork, bamboo shoots, half ramen egg, nori and key lime.  Since this was a dipping noodle, we had on the side a bowl of tonkotsu shoyu tsuyu with yellow onion, green onion, bonito powder, sesame seeds and Sichuan pepper.  I thought the dipping broth was flavourful enough with inherent meatiness, silkiness and saltiness.  The addition of Sichuan pepper afforded spice while the bonito provided more umaminess.  The fatty braised pork melted-in-our-mouths and was plenty flavourful.

The Yuzu-Tsuyu was somewhat similar with a bowl of thick noodles, kakuni pork, bamboo shoots, frisee and kizami nori.  On the side, the dipping noodles were served with a yuzu shoyu tsuyu spiked with chili sesame and green onion.  As you can imagine, the flavour profile of this dish was very different than the last with tangy spice complimented by the nutty sesame.  This almost ate like a tan tan noodle.

On the topic of tan tan noodles, the Hazelnut Tan Tan was a complete surprise.  This vegan offering (yes, really) was absolutely delicious!  There was considerable nuttiness from the broth as well as the diced nuts on top.  However, the spicy miso tare added a fermented rich saltiness that also had a balanced kick.  Add in the chili oil and there was some added smokiness.  The noodles soaked up some of the broth and I just couldn't stop eating it.

Of course we had to get their signature ramen in the Yuzu Shio.  Personally, I'm more into the richer tonkotsu broths, so this wouldn't be my first choice.  However, I can see the attraction of this bowl of noodles though.  For those who do not want something heavy nor too salty, this checks all the boxes.  We dug into this where the chicken broth was lightly sweet and refreshing with an aromatic acidity.

Onto some rice dishes, we had both the Aburi Koro Chashu Don and the Spicy Karaage Don.  As you can see in the first picture, the kakuni pork was well-charred.  There was a caramelized smokiness that was complimented by the salty pickles and fresh grated daikon.  Some shoyu sauce helped add flavour to the chewy rice.  As for the spicy chicken karaage, it was full-impact from the spicy mayo on top.  Furthermore, the chicken was juicy with a crispy exterior.  This would be my pick between the two.

Onto dessert, we had the Yuzu Graham Cracker Cheesecake as well as the Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich.  I thought the cheesecake was quite good with prominent cheesiness complimented by the slightly sweet blueberries.  Emulating a graham cracker crust, the "tart shell" was soft and aromatic.  As for the ice cream sandwich, the cookies had an interesting depth of flavour from miso.  Hence, there was this richness and umaminess that was unexpected.  It was a nice foil to the sweet and creamy ice cream in the middle.  Some sesame seeds added nuttiness.  These 2 treats were a fine ending to a delicious meal.  Jacqueline and I agreed that this was significantly better than the first time we had Afuri.  Granted, we had many more items to try and they had 3 years in between to refine their food.  Would like to come back to have their Hazelnut Tan Tan again!

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Well-executed eats
- That Hazelnut Tan Tan
- That Softshell Crab Bao

The Bad:
- The Yuzu Shio is not my thing, but others seem to like it

Song (by Kin Kao)

So you might be wondering why I'm blogging about Song (by Kin Kao) again so soon.  Well, first of all, if you have noticed, it is no longer Song because if you Google that alone, you come up with the wiki page about music.  So for those who are unaware, Song is the second location of Kin Kao Kitchen hence the new moniker after the name.  For me at least, Song is much better than the original Kin Kao Kitchen on Commercial Drive.  Second reason I'm posting about the place is that I love the food and I had some new dishes which were very good.  This post is actually an amalgamation of 2 separate visits.

So without further ado, here we go into the food!  One of the must-haves here is the Lemongrass Chicken Wings.  These mid-wings are split right down the middle ensuring that they are crispy throughout with only a bit of moist meat on the bone.  Skin is completely rendered and the seasoning is impactful complete with fried lemongrass on top.  The side of spicy namjim sauce on the side adds the perfect balance of brininess, sweetness and herbaceousness.

I also love their Shrimp Toast prepared atop Fife organic milk bread.  Even though it is deep fried, the bread retains its soft and airy texture.  Naturally, the crispiness on the outside only highlights the contrast in texture when you bite into it.  The shrimp is sweet and bouncy and amazingly the bread isn't soaked completely with oil.  This is further complimented by the side of achat pickles that offer up acidity, crunch and sharpness.

I don't know why I keep ordering the Grilled Pork Jowl because other than the first time I had it, it hasn't been grilled enough.  I'm not even sure if this is on the current menu.  As you can see in the picture, it isn't charred very much, hence it is more like lightly steamed pork jowl instead of grilled.  Therefore, the caramelization isn't evident and the texture is just soft.  However, the spicy jaew dip on the side does bring the meat alive.

Another favourite of mine is the Pomelo Salad with crispy shallots, shredded coconut and cashews.  Unlike many other version you'll encounter, this one here is mainly comprised of juicy and sweet pomelo.  it is further amped by the dressing that has all of the goodness of fish sauce and plenty of sweetness.  The aromatics from the shallots and coconut are addictive as well as the nuttiness of the cashews and peanuts.

So is it excessive to pay $50.00 for a Tom Yum Prawns Soup?  Normally it is a rhetorical question but in this case, it really isn't that simple of answer.  First, this is big enough to feed 4 people and second, you really can't see the prawns hidden within it.  Those prawns are huge and beautifully cooked with a meaty crunch.  The soup itself is super impactful with lingering spice and brininess.  Lots of aromatics from the ingredients too.

Currently, they have the Grilled Spot Prawns (since it is the season).  These are simply grilled without anything on them.  For such a beautiful ingredient, there really isn't much you need to add.  The natural sweetness of the delicate prawns really come through and further enhanced by the kiss on the grill.  Then the spicy namjum sauce only adds some tangy and spicy cilantro hits.

So one of the must-have new dishes is the Stir-Fried Clams in a house chili garlic sauce with fried Thai basil.  There is no way to have this dish without ordering a bowl of rice or two.  The sauce is so savoury and addictive, you just want to keep shoving spoonfuls of rice into your mouth.  There is the sweetness of the palm sugar, the aromatics of the garlic and the kick from the chili.  Trust me, you will lick the plate.

I believe that their Pad Thai has to be one of the better versions in town with chewy noodles laced with a sweet tamarind sauce that also has some spice and brininess from the fish sauce.  It is nicely caramelized and features all of the good things found in Pad Thai such as pressed tofu and pickled turnip.  However, if you look closely (and taste), there are some tiny dried shrimp strewn throughout.  Small detail, but makes a difference.

Another must-order item at Song is the Squash Stir-Fry (but not sure if that is on the menu at the moment).  It is comprised of sliced kobacha and egg with garlic and mushroom sauce.  The textures in this dish are off-the-hook with the soft, yet firm squash interwoven with the fluffy egg.  Then you have the sweet umaminess of the sauce that is the beneficiary of caramelized palm sugar.  More aromatics are provided by the Thai basil.

Another dish that is full of umaminess as well as textures is the Mushroom Stir Fry with Fried Silken Egg Tofu.  Absolutely love the contrast between the crispy fried tofu with the delicate silkiness of the centre.  Then you add in all of the earthy mushrooms bathed in an mushroom oyster-sauce with garlic and you have subtle, yet impactful flavours.  Instead of the actual oyster sauce, this vegan version is less salty and much more aromatic.

For dessert, the classic Mango Sticky Rice is elevated with coconut cream, young rice pop and edible flowers.  For some colour, the sticky rice is spiked with butterfly pea blue, yet still is sticky and sweet.  Mango is ripe and delicious.  Simple, yet satisfying.  So yet another delicious meal at Song (by Kin Kao).  The place has earned its Michelin Bib Gourmand status with good eats and service.  As a Bib Gourmand, the place should be relatively inexpensive, but in reality, the prices do get up there.  However, given that the food is so good, I think it is worth it.

The Good:

- Impactful flavours

- Solid execution

- Attentive service

The Bad:

- Seating can be tight

- Prices can get up there (but worth it IMO)

Phở Pasteur

I know you've heard me complain about high food costs these days, whether it be groceries or at a restaurant.  It is truly becoming unaffordable to eat out and if you aren't careful, you can blow your budget after one meal!  So where can one grab a quick bite with the fam without sacrificing your kid's college fund?  Well, even Vietnamese joints are no longer that cheap.  However, there is Phở Pasteur on Hastings in Burnaby.  Hidden on the 2nd floor, this place use to be So Crab, So Good.

All we needed was a cheap quick meal and this place seem to fit the bill (sorry for the pun).  We kicked things off with the Spring Rolls and we were pleasantly surprised they used rice wrappers rather than wheat.  This is the way it should be in my opinion because the crunch and texture is very different than wheat.  It is in some ways crunchier while having a light chewiness.  Inside the pork and veggie filling was tender and moist while nicely seasoned.

We also had the Deep Fried Chicken Wings that actually came at end of the meal (maybe they were defrosting them?).  These were fried aggressively where some of the the sugars had burnt a bit.  However, that was a good thing as the caramelization was sweet and smoky.  The fish sauce really came through as the wings were well-marinated.  The skin was rendered nicely, hence the skin was crispy and not flabby.

For myself, I went for a large Phở Đặc Biệt for only $12.00.  When bowls of Pho are going for close to $20.00 these days, this was very reasonable.  They didn't skimp on the amount of noodles and meat either.  I thought the broth was a bit muddled but it still had meatiness with a star anise finish.  Meats were plentiful but some were cut rather thick.  A bit less refined, but they were still tender nonetheless.

Viv ended up with the Spring Roll & Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Bowl.  This was a fairly good portion of soft, yet still chewy rice noodles with the same aggressively deep fried spring roll.  The grilled chicken was marinated well with lots of flavour as well as colour on the outside.  Perhaps it was a bit wet before it got onto the grill as it didn't caramelize as much as it could've.  The byproduct was some residual juices that helped flavour the noodles.

Staying with chicken, my son had his usual in the Lemongrass Chicken with Rice.  He didn't opt for the fried egg because it was $2.00 extra.  He didn't want to spend the money for one egg (actually it was my money and I appreciated his frugalness).  So the grilled chicken was no different than the one in the vermicelli bowl.  It was tender and moist with plenty of sweet salty brininess.

My daughter made it a trifecta of chicken when she got the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Noodles.  Nothing more to add about the same chicken here.  As for the broth, it was pretty clean and mild-tasting.  The noodles were al dente and not clumpy at all.  In general, this and all the other dishes we had were fine and good value.  This would not be my first choice when it comes to Vietnamese eats in town, but it does the job and not for very much money.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Does the job
- Friendly people

The Bad:
- A little less refined than other spots

Arisu Korean BBQ (Edmonds)

My son absolutely loves Korean BBQ.  I've never seen him eat so much in comparison to other cuisines.  So it was without a doubt that he would choose Korean BBQ as his graduation meal (yes, it is pretty clear I'm getting old...).  Although we like Arisu out in Burquitlam, we wanted to change it up a bit and visit their newer location out on Edmonds in Burnaby.  Loved the free parking within the complex, but not so much with the fairly tight booths, especially for a party of 6.

We ended up ordering a variety of dishes including, of course, meats for the BBQ.  With most Korean meals, we were served a variety of Banchan including cabbage salad, kimchi, pickled daikon radish, marinated sprouts and stewed potatoes.  These were all pretty solid where the kimchi had plenty of crunch and spice.  Potatoes were sweet and savoury while being soft without being mushy.  Naturally, we got a few refills of each.

Onto the BBQ, went for the Premium Beef Combo featuring boneless kalbi, premium ribeye, marinated ju-mul-luk and marinated kalbi.  Generally, the meat in this combo was very good.  We started with the boneless kalbi and each piece was buttery and tender.  The same could be said about the ju-mul-luk where it was nicely flavourful.  We found the ribeye more meaty in texture, but it was till tender.  The cream of the crop was the marinated kalbi where it was pure short rib meaty heaven.  It was delicious while the meat was buttery soft.   For good measure, we added the Pork Jowl and Chicken Bulgogi.  The pork jowl was pretty typical with a rebound texture that was tender.  With a sweet marinade, the chicken was able to char on the grill and due to the use of thigh meat, it was tender.

Although we were served soup already, we decided to tack on the Gamjatang as well.  This featured 3 really large bones with lots of meat.  The meat was generally tender, however, the bones could've used a bit more cook time.  The soup itself was flavourful with a mild spiciness as well as a certain meatiness.  Loved that they added some sliced rice cake as they soaked up some of the flavours.  On the other hand, the potatoes were undercooked and hard.

We ended up ordering 3 bowls of rice to go with our BBQ meats, but we still had to get the Dolset Bibimbap (like we always do).  Although the stone bowl came hot, it was difficult to actually get a proper rice crust.  This was even after I had mixed the ingredients and smashed the rice against the sides.  Despite this, the ingredients were good and the side of gochujang wasn't really enough, but of course we could've asked for more.

Since it was really hot inside (it appeared that their A/C was either not working or was very weak), we got the Mul-Naengmyeon.  This was textbook with chewy buckwheat noodles sitting in an ice cold beef broth.  We found the usual toppings of sliced beef brisket, cucumbers, daikon and a half hard-boiled egg.  This was truly refreshing as we were sweating just sitting there.  Loved the texture of the noodles and they stayed as such due to being cold.

Our last dish was the Claypot Steamed Egg.  This was fairly fluffy with bits of veggies strewn throughout.  Naturally, this went well with the white rice and was a nice interlude between bites of delicious meat.  Overall, the meal at this location of Arisu was quite good especially the beef.  Service was good with attentive and friendly staff.  It was really too bad that the A/C wasn't working because that made things quite uncomfortable.  If I was to go back to Arisu, I'll hit up the North Road location since their seating is more spacious.

The Good:

- Top notch premium beef

- Good service

- Free parking

The Bad:

- Seating is tight for any group bigger than 4

- Gamjatang ingredients could've been cooked longer

On & Off Kitchen + Bar

As much as Little Beetle blew me away with their outstanding brunch, the fact that I had to drive out to Chilliwack makes it less accessible than many other places in town.  So I looked a bit closer to me in the form of On & Off Kitchen out in Coquitlam.  Located in a strip mall near the corner of Austin and Mariner, this wouldn't be the most obvious spot for brunch.  However, there is indeed a cute lil place that sports a varied menu and an outstanding patio at the back.  I just wished there was a bit more parking available.

Looking over the menu, they do have a section dedicated to croffles.  For those who haven't tried these, they are waffles made from croissant dough.  We decided to get the Croffle Platter B that offered a choice of any 2 coffees from the espresso bar and any 3 croffles.  We went for a Cappuccino and Mocha for our drinks and for our 3 croffles, we had the Caramel Bacon, Strawberries & Cream and Chocolate.  We thought the specialty coffees were good but needed to hotter temperature-wise.  As for the croffles, they had an appealing texture where the outside was crispy while the inside was flaky and buttery.  We much preferred the strawberries and cream because the other 2 had quite a bit of sweet sauces and things on top.  Furthermore, the bacon could've been crispier.

Other than myself, everyone had a Benny.  Viv decided on the Eggs Royale Benny with smoked salmon, spinach, avocado, hollandaise and garlic butter fingerling potatoes.  She asked for the hollandaise to be served on the side.  It was plenty buttery and creamy while nicely seasoned.  Would've personally loved a bit more acidity.  Eggs were poached perfectly soft with a runny centre.  I thought the spinach was the right texture as it was softened just enough without being mushy.  English muffin was toasted well where it wasn't too hard nor too soft.

My daughter ended up with the vegetarian option - Eggs Florentine Benny.  This was comprised of roasted mushroom, wilted spinach, truffle purée and hollandaise.  Much like the previous dish, this was carefully constructed and featured perfectly soft-poached eggs.  Due to the mild ingredients, the addition of truffle purée added some much need flavour.  Of course that complimented the mushrooms as well.  Not a big fan of the fingerling potatoes as they were not crispy and quite dense.

My son had the meatiest version in the Bourbon BBQ Pulled Pork Eggs Benny.  This sported a considerable amount of tender pulled pork with sweet BBQ sauce and wilted spinach.  Naturally, this ate much more heavy than the other 2 Bennys while also exhibiting stronger flavours.  I've always thought that hollandaise and BBQ sauce has never been a great match, but in this instance, there was just enough BBQ sauce for impact without taking over the dish.

For myself, I had to not get a Benny, just for for variety.  Hence, I went for the Prawn & Chorizo Campanelle.  This looked and smelled wonderful but in the end, it was bland.  For some reason, they diced the chorizo into little bits and they had no impact on the dish whatsoever.  There was a complete lack of seasoning and the pasta itself was overdone.  At least the prawns were perfectly cooked.  Overall, we found the Bennys to be pretty solid but the potatoes were not good.  Pasta was meh while the croffles were overdressed with sweetness.  I think this place can be better.  Service is top notch and the dining space is appealing.

The Good:

- Excellent service

- Wonderful spot

- Bennys were good

The Bad:

- Pasta was bland and overcooked

- Croffles were too sweet

- Parking can be difficult